Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to improvements to hybrid vehicle. More particularly the present disclosure relates to improving the fuel efficiency of hybrid vehicles (HV) and/or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) by integrating Rankine Cycle system with other technologies such as power electronics cooling, turbocharging, and in-wheel motor.
Description of the Related Art
Conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are reaching their technical limits and will not be able to meet the fuel economy requirement without additional measures. While, fully electric vehicles (EV) have very high fuel economy and low carbon-dioxide (CO2) emission; however, their short driving range and long battery charging time limit the acceptance of the EV. On the other hand, a hybrid electric vehicle is a compromise of traditional ICE vehicle and the EV. A hybrid vehicle can utilize both ICE and electric energy to enable operation over a long distance. Additional, different waste energy sources can be utilized to further improve the efficiency of the hybrid vehicle. For example using a Rankine Cycle (RC) system.
The Rankine Cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that converts thermal energy into mechanical work and is commonly found in thermal power generation plants. The RC system includes four main components: an evaporator; an expander; a condenser; and a pump connected to form a flow loop of a typical RC system. The pump drives a working fluid to circulate through the loop, and the evaporator utilizes a waste heat source to vaporize the working fluid. The fluid vapor expands in the expander and converts thermal energy into mechanical power output. Then, the expanded vapor flows through a condenser to convert back into liquid phase, thus completing the cycle.